Since having kids, one thing we’ve made a priority is date nights! Although, our kids are amazing but nothing beats some real adult conversation (and someone else taking care of bedtime ha!). We can all get in date night ruts so here are some fresh date night ideas whether you want to stay at home, you’re on a budget or you’re heading out to paint the town!
Stay at Home Date Night Ideas
1. Make a gourmet meal.
Truth be told, I hate cooking. However, my husband is amazing at it! Because of that, I love it when he finds amazing recipes to cook up while I either help out with a few minor tasks or concentrate on baking a delicious dessert (which is my fav!).
These healthy peanut butter cups are a great way to end your meal!
*If you have kids, do this after the kiddos are in bed!
2. Play a game.
I know this sounds dorky but we don’t play nearly as many games as we used to! We spent most of our honeymoon playing Scrabble (Rishi won pretty much every game) but we go months and months without pulling it out.
Dust off that favorite game, pour yourself a hot drink or favorite cocktail and have some fun! And just remember, it’s only a game so don’t get too competitive!
3. Movie marathon.
Each of you pick your favorite movie of all time and watch them BOTH! I know, I know, it sounds like a super late night but you each get to enjoy your favorite movie with your favorite person – what more could you want?
4. Get takeout and use the “good dishes”.
Truth be told, we don’t have nice china but if we did, I would totally use it for something like this! Order your favorite meal (and if you have to order from 2 separate restaurants, that’s ok too), light candles, turn on some jazz and pretend your at the fanciest place in town.
5. Take a trip down memory lane.
Pull out the photo album, turn on the wedding video – wherever you have memories stored away, pull them out and relive them!
For instance, we have our short 3 minute long video from our wedding but we also have hours of footage from our videographer that we pull out from time to time to relive our special day!
6. Do a puzzle.
Puzzles are another thing that we rarely do together unless it’s a holiday or we’re holed up at a cabin for a long weekend. However, nothing beats pulling out a puzzle on a random Tuesday evening and work on completing it!
7. Have a tasting
It could be wine, cheese or chocolate! Whatever you both like and would love to try more of, get a variety of options and try them out!
On a Budget Date Night Ideas
1. Go on a walk.
If you’re anything like us, my guess is there are plenty of places in the city you live that you have yet to visit! Find a place with a great view or fun scenery and go for a little walk!
2. Find an open mic night at a local coffee shop.
We’ve loved the times we’ve stumbled upon live music at a coffeeshop especially when we didn’t know it was going on! Often times all it costs is the amount of a cup of coffee and you’re bound to hear some interesting music. 🙂
3. Free museum night.
Tons of museums have one night a month where they’re open to the public for free. Plan out your date night around one of these!
4. Visit a local bookstore.
Often times there are coffeeshops inside places like Barnes and Noble. Grab a cup of coffee and peruse a few books you’ve been wanting to read!
5. Go antiquing
We live near a cluster of antique stores and love strolling them and finding amazing treasures inside! Browsing doesn’t cost a penny! 😉
You can do a scavenger hunt while you’re at it – trying to find pieces from different time periods or the weirdest item in the shop!
6. Volunteer
Go play with dogs at a shelter or serve at a local soup kitchen. Giving back is an amazing way to spend some quality time together.
7. Go bowling
How long has it been since you put on a pair of stinky shoes and laughed at all your gutter balls? One game doesn’t cost that much so get out there and throw some strikes!
8. Do a workout together
Many gyms have free trials so you can try one out together! Maybe it’s a yoga class or HIIT training, sweating together is a great way to bond!
We love our Peloton and they have tons of great workout options on their app.
9. Trivia night
I’m terrible at trivia but it’s still fun to try! Find a dive bar or local restaurant that has a weekly trivia night and join in on the fun.
10. Go on a bike ride.
Renting bikes is super inexpensive if you don’t have your own. Ride around your town and stop at a local ice cream shop for a treat on your way home.
Paint the Town Date Night Ideas
1. Weekend away
The ultimate date nights!! Drop the kids of aunt and uncle or grandma and grandpa (or heck even your best friend who has kids with the promise to return the favor) and get away for a weekend!
It could be a staycation like we did at the Kimpton Grand Hotel here in Minneapolis, a quick flight somewhere or a drive a few hours away.
2. Go skydiving
Talk about adrenaline rush!! I don’t think I would ever do this one, but if Rishi had his heart set on it I could maybe be talked into it. 🙂
3. Go ballroom dancing
Go to a single class or better yet, sign up for a full season of classes! Everyone should know how to ballroom dance and let’s be real, dancing with your spouse is a sure way to rekindle some romance!
4. Recreate your first date.
Your first date was likely a fun one or at least it’s a good memory! Go to the same restaurant, see the same movie, or just do whatever it is you did on that first date!
I had a friend do this for our wedding gift and it was so sweet! I love heading back to our first date restaurant and seeing how it (and we) have changed.
5. Rent your dream car.
My husband is a car guy so he would love this! Show up at his work in your fancy new (rented) ride and surprise him! Drive it around for a night or a weekend, you’re sure to surprise and delight your car loving spouse!
6. Couples massage.
We’ve only done this one time on our honeymoon but it was so relaxing! We’re terrible at doing relaxing things and even worse at doing them together.
A couples massage forces you to chill out and relax together! After the massage, you can end it with some champagne and treats in the relaxation room at the spa!
7. Eat a dessert-only dinner.
Find the best spot in town for dessert and eat your heart out! Top it off with some delicious coffee (and a post dinner walk!) for a sweet night out.
8. Have a 5 course meal at 5 different restaurants.
This may take some organizing but check out some of your favorite places for different courses. You can organize it so you start at the restaurant farthest from your house and work your way back home or even try 5 different restaurants in the same neighborhood!
{all photos by Bundle Studio}
I hope all of these date night ideas helps you out when you plan your next night out! I’d love to hear what your favorite date is!
I also have a full post on 50 cheap date ideas for you to check out as well!
Check out this post to see all the photos from our wedding where we combined both of our cultures for a colorful, amazing weekend!
As always, thanks so much for reading and don’t forget to pin this post for later!
With love,
Jen
These are great ideas! Jesse and I are going on our first date night in over 6 months on Friday. We need to work on making more time for them on a regular basis, even if we just stay home.